Sagan, Contador and Majka begin two-week stay near Etna
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Jesus Hernandez and Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Ivan Basso, Alberto Contador, Peter Sagan and Rafal Majka on the front of the group (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The 2015 Tinkoff-Saxo team(Image credit: Greg Johnson in Melbourne, Australia)
Tinkoff-Saxo is training in hills near Mount Etna in Sicily(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alberto Contador makes an effort (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alberto Contador is ready to roll out(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Jay McCarthy (Tinkoff-Saxo)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
New directeur sportif Sean Yates watches his riders from the road side (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The riders have new bikes for 2015 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
A view from the team car(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Rafal Majka speaks to head coach Bobby Julich(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Ivan Basso and Alberto Contador lead the Tinkoff-Saxo ride(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Peter Sagan works on strengthening his core muscles (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Specialized bikes await the riders(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alberto Contador and Peter Sagan on the front of the group ride(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Michael Valgren Andersen stands out in his Danish national champion's jersey(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Peter Sagan's Slovakian national champion's jersey stands out compared ot the Tinkoff-Saxo yellow and blue(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Robert Kiserlovski (Tinkoff-Saxo)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Despite being embroiled in a legal battle with the UCI about his Biological Passport, Roman Kreuziger was out training with Tinkoff-Saxo(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The bright yellow and blue Tinkoff-Saxo kit (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Matti Breschel (Tinkoff - Saxo)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alberto Contador does some early morning stretching(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
A rear view of the Tinkoff-Saxo riders(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alberto Contador adjusts his helmet(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Peter Sagan does some early morning core work (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Tinkoff-Saxo team have begun a two-week training camp in Sicily, with Alberto Contador, Peter Sagan and 21 other riders working hard for the season ahead on the slopes on Mount Etna.
The riders and staff arrived in Sicily on Friday and did their first ride on Saturday, giving their new bikes a shakedown and enjoying the quiet but hilly roads on the slopes of the Italian volcano. Only Michael Rogers, Christopher Juul-Jensen, Manuele Boaro, Jesper Hansen, Michael Kolar, Pavel Brutt and Evgeny Petrov were missing from the camp because they will ride the Tour Down Under in Australia. Despite being locked in a legal battle with the UCI regarding an alleged Biological Passport violation, Roman Kreuziger is at the camp and training hard with his teammates.
The training rides are planned and monitored by new head coach Bobby Julich and new directeur sportif Sean Yates. The riders face daily sessions in the gym before breakfast to work on their core body strength. The training rides are followed by massage and recovery.
“A camp like this allows us to fully concentrate on training – both as individual riders and as a team,” Julich explained in a statement on the team's website.
“The trip to Kilimanjaro was about getting together and building a strong team spirit, while the first camp at Anfi on Gran Canaria was used to lay the foundation after the off-season. But this camp on Sicily will be much more specific, getting the riders up to race speed, simulating race situations and pushing the general condition further. Already now, when I look at the team, I see a unified group with a very solid team spirit. So during the more intensive rides, we’ll have the opportunity to make sure that everybody knows how they can help each other even when they’re put under pressure.”
“We’ll of course make a smooth transition to avoid overtraining or sickness. But for sure, we’ll kick up the tempo in the second part of the camp. The season is upon us, and we’re all very excited and ready for the big battles.”
Alberto Contador will target both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in 2015 and make his season debut at the Ruta del Sol (18-22 February). Peter Sagan is expected to make his race debut in the bright yellow and blue Tinkoff-Saxo colours at the Tour of Qatar (February 8-13).
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Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.
